The Twin-Island Federation officially signed the CCCCC Act into law in August of this year.
The theme of St. Kitts and Nevis’ 41st Independence Anniversary, “Together, a People, Proud and Strong, Independence 41,” reflects the nation’s spirit of solidarity and commitment to regional collaboration. As a part of the Lesser Antilles, St. Kitts and Nevis must collaborate with its neighbors to address climate resilience.
The nation has been actively engaged in a comprehensive suite of climate adaptation and mitigation measures designed to reduce the nation’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, safeguard its natural resources, and contribute to global efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, all while ensuring a resilient and sustainable future for its people and economy.
. In early August, the Federal Parliament of St. Kitts and Nevis officially ratified the agreement to strengthen its partnership with the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). Minister responsible for Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action, and Constitutional Empowerment, Dr. Joyelle Clark spearheaded the passage of the CCCCC Act through parliament. It received bipartisan support.
The country has collaborated with the CCCCC for years. With support from the CCCCC, Dr. Clarke explains during her presentation on the bill, the country has been able to access funding for climate change readiness from the Green Climate Fund.
In March of this year, a Project Preparation Facility (PPF) was launched by the government for the SKN TransWater Project, bringing the country closer to accessing US$45 million by the end of 2025. Senator Clark expressed that this project, assembled under the guidance of CCCCC, is designed to support the Ministry of Public Infrastructure by expanding its aggressive program of adapting to the climate threat.
Currently, the CCCCC is also spearheading a US$25 million Climate Smart Agriculture Project, poised to revolutionize local farming practices. This initiative is progressing steadily through the GCF approval process with a green light anticipated by 2026.
In May, the CCCCC launched the Road to Resilience Fisheries Project, a regional initiative focused on strengthening the Caribbean fisheries sector against the impacts of climate change. St. Kitts and Nevis is poised to benefit from this collaborative effort.
With support from the CCCCC, the nation is also working on drawing down on climate finance from the Adaptation Fund.
St. Kitts and Nevis’ 2021 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) highlights that the nation is already experiencing the effects of climate change. Key sectors such as agriculture, water, tourism, and health are being impacted, with vulnerable communities and groups bearing the brunt of these challenges.
The country’s largest source of national greenhouse gas emission is generated from burning fossil fuels. The NDC pledges a significant and more ambitious mitigation target of reducing economy-wide CO2 emissions by 61% by 2030. To achieve this, the nation pledges to transition to 100% renewable energy in electricity generation and increase the share of electric vehicles.
In late 2023, the Nevis Geothermal Project was launched with funding support from the Caribbean Development Bank. The goal of this project is to produce 10 megawatts of geothermal power – enough to generate more the 100% of the domestic energy demand in Nevis. If this is achieved, the project lays the groundwork for expanding the Federation’s geothermal energy generation to eventually export green energy.
Mainstreaming climate adaptation into the national developing agenda in St. Kitts and Nevis is necessary to achieve these goals – the ratification of this bill signals a renewed commitment to partner with the CCCCC for the continued growth and improvement of regional climate action.
As we celebrate 41 years of Independence in St. Kitts and Nevis, let us strive to also embrace the spirit of togetherness across the Caribbean to combat the collective challenge of climate change.
